I dedicated this week’s long run to a trip down memory lane, having been sorting through some old photos this week. At this stage in the training running had become a bit monotonous, so this seemed like a great way to make it more interesting.
Because of a previous injury I’m a tiny bit behind in my training compared to some other people, but I was still aiming to run 16 miles on Sunday, which meant I could cover a lot of ground.
I decided my long run should take me back through Putney and on to Roehampton, where I started my life in London. It was easily the best and most enjoyable run I’ve ever had. Giving my mind so many memories to focus on made the time fly and it seemed so much more effortless than usual.
I ran past the halls of residence where I spent my first ever night in London 14 years ago. I moved there at 18 to start university and it was quite emotional to think of all the laughs I had there and how far I’ve come in that time. It made think of old friends like Hannah, Fiona, Darran and Chrissie, and drunken nights at the Digby Bop. The campus looked fairly different now as they’ve added a new building. I wondered if the students there now had any appreciation for the years of history that happened before they arrived.
I ran past the Holmes Place gym I joined nine years ago when I was like a skinny little boy in comparison and was reminded of all the hard work and laughs I had there over the years.
I ran past the first ever flat I owned with my brother and was reminded of the times I cried there having had my heart broken for the first time, how my brother told me he was gay there, how our friendship had developed over the years we spent there watching TV and idling chatting, the times we spent laughing and listening to pop music as we decorated the whole place, and some of the upset I suffered before I left that home.
I ran past a house I lived in with eight students in Holmbush Road in my final year of university. It was a huge house that was very old and completely rundown. We used to fantasise about all the things we would do to the place if we could have bought it and done it up. I was reminded of the times we would go rummaging through the junk in the basement, the drunken parties and the stresses we went though there as we all sat our final university exams. As I ran past I noticed the place has been completely done up with matching blinds in all the windows and a well tended garden, obviously no longer owned by Mrs Corn and rented to large groups of students! Again if they only knew the history that happened there before them.
I had such an amazing and enjoyable run. It really made me realise how far I have come in my 14 years in London, and how many fond memories I have. The upcoming marathon is like the icing on the cake. 14 years covered in 16 miles. I love my life.
Paul
x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
Monday 29 March 2010
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Comparing yourself to others – 9 March 2010
I’ve never thought of myself as particularly competitive. I have always compared myself to others but thought this was a pretty natural way to be? How else are you supposed to know if you’re doing well?
One of the best and worst things about training for the London marathon is the number of other people training for it too. Having had a recent set back in training because of injury, and now playing catch up, I’m finding myself taking more interest than ever in how other people’s training is going. I realise it’s not helpful as it just adds extra pressure to hear others are running more than you, but reading other people’s blogs about injury and set backs is also strangely reassuring. Maybe it’s that strange human mentality of seeking comfort in knowing there are people worse off than yourself.
A friend of mine emailed me today telling me about the progress of some of the other runners from his charity. Those that are aiming for sub 3:15hrs, mums training between family commitments, and one person hoping to wing it on the day. It sounds like he’s comparing himself to others in a similar way to what I am.
And that’s leads me on to how so many others training too is one of the best things about the London marathon. There’s a real sense of community in training, re-establishing friendships as you share stories of what has inspired you to run, meeting strangers running for charity and bonding with them, and finding out more about people you know who have run it in the past. I hope my friend won’t mind but I’ll copy and paste one of the great emails I’ve received from a friend who completed the marathon last year. It may motivate some of you running it this year.
“If you have never done it before, the best thing you can look forward to the atmosphere and pure buzz of it. I’ve played in lots of big football matches and I have never experienced anything like it before (maybe because its more individual than a team experience). Everyone is there for the same reason, which is to raise money for their chosen charity, so everyone is nervous but so friendly and helpful.
I was aiming for a 3 hour time, but thought I could take a further 30 minutes off due to the lack of training. All was going well for the first half and I completed it in 1 hour 28, then I hit the wall (well I seem to hit it after about 9 miles, but kept the same pace), from then on in I really struggled, I was running against the crowd looking for any sweets for energy (I even put what must have been a gob stopper in my mouth out of desperation). I had family around the canary wharf area, which was a great boost although it made me a little emotional, especially at mile 18 when I jumped the rail to kiss my little boy, it actually makes me a little emotional now reminiscing. At mile 19 was when I first stopped with cramp and once I stopped it was game over, I couldn’t run half a mile without stopping. It was the weirdest feeling in the world by this point, because I wasn’t tired, out of breath or drained, but my legs just didn’t work. So I was stopping and stretching the rest of the way and even had two massages by the ambulance crew. I crawled over the line in 3 hours 50 and looking back at my times, I completed the last 2 miles in 35 minutes. I was just pleased to finish in the end.
Please don’t let my last 6 miles experience put you off Paul, other that having my little boy, this was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m sure you will find it the same.”
With less than seven weeks to go I’m slowly putting my injuries behind me, and tonight will run 8.5 miles as part of my programme to get back on track. Wish me luck.
Paul x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
One of the best and worst things about training for the London marathon is the number of other people training for it too. Having had a recent set back in training because of injury, and now playing catch up, I’m finding myself taking more interest than ever in how other people’s training is going. I realise it’s not helpful as it just adds extra pressure to hear others are running more than you, but reading other people’s blogs about injury and set backs is also strangely reassuring. Maybe it’s that strange human mentality of seeking comfort in knowing there are people worse off than yourself.
A friend of mine emailed me today telling me about the progress of some of the other runners from his charity. Those that are aiming for sub 3:15hrs, mums training between family commitments, and one person hoping to wing it on the day. It sounds like he’s comparing himself to others in a similar way to what I am.
And that’s leads me on to how so many others training too is one of the best things about the London marathon. There’s a real sense of community in training, re-establishing friendships as you share stories of what has inspired you to run, meeting strangers running for charity and bonding with them, and finding out more about people you know who have run it in the past. I hope my friend won’t mind but I’ll copy and paste one of the great emails I’ve received from a friend who completed the marathon last year. It may motivate some of you running it this year.
“If you have never done it before, the best thing you can look forward to the atmosphere and pure buzz of it. I’ve played in lots of big football matches and I have never experienced anything like it before (maybe because its more individual than a team experience). Everyone is there for the same reason, which is to raise money for their chosen charity, so everyone is nervous but so friendly and helpful.
I was aiming for a 3 hour time, but thought I could take a further 30 minutes off due to the lack of training. All was going well for the first half and I completed it in 1 hour 28, then I hit the wall (well I seem to hit it after about 9 miles, but kept the same pace), from then on in I really struggled, I was running against the crowd looking for any sweets for energy (I even put what must have been a gob stopper in my mouth out of desperation). I had family around the canary wharf area, which was a great boost although it made me a little emotional, especially at mile 18 when I jumped the rail to kiss my little boy, it actually makes me a little emotional now reminiscing. At mile 19 was when I first stopped with cramp and once I stopped it was game over, I couldn’t run half a mile without stopping. It was the weirdest feeling in the world by this point, because I wasn’t tired, out of breath or drained, but my legs just didn’t work. So I was stopping and stretching the rest of the way and even had two massages by the ambulance crew. I crawled over the line in 3 hours 50 and looking back at my times, I completed the last 2 miles in 35 minutes. I was just pleased to finish in the end.
Please don’t let my last 6 miles experience put you off Paul, other that having my little boy, this was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m sure you will find it the same.”
With less than seven weeks to go I’m slowly putting my injuries behind me, and tonight will run 8.5 miles as part of my programme to get back on track. Wish me luck.
Paul x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
Thursday 25 February 2010
Another set back :o( - 25 February 2010
I don’t know about you, but I only feel inspired to write things if it’s something positive and upbeat. With that in mind I should apologise for not having posted any blog updates for a while. Lots of people have been asking about my progress so I felt it time I should write.
The last month has been a real challenge. At the start of February I began to suffer from shin splints. For those of you that may not know, shin splints are aggravation of the soft tissue that connects the muscles to the shin bones (I’m not a doctor so forgive me if that’s not a great explanation). In laymen’s terms it hurts when I walk and even more when I run. Causes vary between increasing training too quickly, over use, tight calf muscles, incorrect shoes and other factors.
The recommended treatment in my case is rest, so I haven’t been able to run. At such a crucial time in training this has been particularly hard to bear. I’m seeing a running injury physio and following his advice with regards to exercises to do to, and he’s reassuring me rest is the right thing. Fortunately he’s been very positive but still it’s hard.
Doing a marathon for a charity adds so much pressure as you have to publicise you’re running it to raise awareness and get sponsorship. In doing so you build up a lot of hype. With that hype comes questions. People ask you how you’re doing, and when you’re doing well that’s great. But unfortunately when you’re not doing well it’s not nice to have to tell people that. People’s reactions can be very different, some are very positive and reassuring, whereas others can worry you with talk of 'running out of time' or telling you horror stories of other runners who have tried and failed. I know they have good intentions but it still adds to the pressure. Training for a marathon with its highs and lows really is like a rollercoaster ride I’ve not experienced before.
As time has gone on the pain in my shins has decreased. There’s still a mild ache but following the physio’s advice I will try my first short run tonight. I’m full of fear. With any luck tonight’s run will go well and I’ll get back on track soon, but I’m scared running again will make things worse. This is probably the tensest time in my training programme so far.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
X
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
The last month has been a real challenge. At the start of February I began to suffer from shin splints. For those of you that may not know, shin splints are aggravation of the soft tissue that connects the muscles to the shin bones (I’m not a doctor so forgive me if that’s not a great explanation). In laymen’s terms it hurts when I walk and even more when I run. Causes vary between increasing training too quickly, over use, tight calf muscles, incorrect shoes and other factors.
The recommended treatment in my case is rest, so I haven’t been able to run. At such a crucial time in training this has been particularly hard to bear. I’m seeing a running injury physio and following his advice with regards to exercises to do to, and he’s reassuring me rest is the right thing. Fortunately he’s been very positive but still it’s hard.
Doing a marathon for a charity adds so much pressure as you have to publicise you’re running it to raise awareness and get sponsorship. In doing so you build up a lot of hype. With that hype comes questions. People ask you how you’re doing, and when you’re doing well that’s great. But unfortunately when you’re not doing well it’s not nice to have to tell people that. People’s reactions can be very different, some are very positive and reassuring, whereas others can worry you with talk of 'running out of time' or telling you horror stories of other runners who have tried and failed. I know they have good intentions but it still adds to the pressure. Training for a marathon with its highs and lows really is like a rollercoaster ride I’ve not experienced before.
As time has gone on the pain in my shins has decreased. There’s still a mild ache but following the physio’s advice I will try my first short run tonight. I’m full of fear. With any luck tonight’s run will go well and I’ll get back on track soon, but I’m scared running again will make things worse. This is probably the tensest time in my training programme so far.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
X
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Halfway through training - 25 January 2010
As 25th January will be exactly halfway through my marathon training programme I wanted to send an update to say:
A) Thank you again to everybody who has sponsored me
And
B) To give you an update on my training progress in advance of my reaching the halfway mark in my training programme.
My first day of training back in October already feels like so long ago. At that point the most I had ever run was the occasional 20 minutes on the treadmill.
In December I was fortunate enough to go to the Terrence Higgins Trust's pre-Christmas drinks party. It's an annual event to thank individuals who have donated over £1,000 and also their top fund-raisers. I was really pleased that night to discover that I am officially THT's biggest fund-raiser. At that point donations were already at £3,500, so almost double the total amount their marathon runners usually manage to raise. I even got to meet Dannii Minogue that night, and seeing how grateful and happy the staff at THT were with my fund-raising progress made me so happy and buzzing with pride, so thank you again to everybody who has sponsored me :o)
Since then the weather has gotten increasingly worse, but I'm very pleased to say it hasn't stopped my training. As well as the occasional run home from work and regular mid-week treadmill runs, I've been fortunate enough to be able to manage most of my long runs outdoors at the weekends. It being the coldest winter in decades does add an extra level of challenge, but I always knew winter training wouldn't be easy, plus my friend Humberto has joined me on a few long runs too which makes them more bearable. My weekly Sunday run is now 7 miles, and my total mileage each week is around 18 miles. That is still increasing every week until I run the Brighton half marathon on 21st February, and will of course continue to grow each week after that until the marathon on 25th April. I'll continue to provide updates nearer the time to keep you up to date on my progress. In the meantime, if you're aware of somebody who was intending to sponsor me but hasn't gotten round to it yet, please feel free to forward this link to them and encourage them to sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould
I'm currently at £3,800 of sponsorship but I'm aiming for a grand total of £5,000 to make a massive difference to the Terrence Higgins Trust charity and the lives of every HIV+ person who is relying on their support. Thank you again for the sponsorship and support you have given me to help me achieve this xxx
A) Thank you again to everybody who has sponsored me
And
B) To give you an update on my training progress in advance of my reaching the halfway mark in my training programme.
My first day of training back in October already feels like so long ago. At that point the most I had ever run was the occasional 20 minutes on the treadmill.
In December I was fortunate enough to go to the Terrence Higgins Trust's pre-Christmas drinks party. It's an annual event to thank individuals who have donated over £1,000 and also their top fund-raisers. I was really pleased that night to discover that I am officially THT's biggest fund-raiser. At that point donations were already at £3,500, so almost double the total amount their marathon runners usually manage to raise. I even got to meet Dannii Minogue that night, and seeing how grateful and happy the staff at THT were with my fund-raising progress made me so happy and buzzing with pride, so thank you again to everybody who has sponsored me :o)
Since then the weather has gotten increasingly worse, but I'm very pleased to say it hasn't stopped my training. As well as the occasional run home from work and regular mid-week treadmill runs, I've been fortunate enough to be able to manage most of my long runs outdoors at the weekends. It being the coldest winter in decades does add an extra level of challenge, but I always knew winter training wouldn't be easy, plus my friend Humberto has joined me on a few long runs too which makes them more bearable. My weekly Sunday run is now 7 miles, and my total mileage each week is around 18 miles. That is still increasing every week until I run the Brighton half marathon on 21st February, and will of course continue to grow each week after that until the marathon on 25th April. I'll continue to provide updates nearer the time to keep you up to date on my progress. In the meantime, if you're aware of somebody who was intending to sponsor me but hasn't gotten round to it yet, please feel free to forward this link to them and encourage them to sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould
I'm currently at £3,800 of sponsorship but I'm aiming for a grand total of £5,000 to make a massive difference to the Terrence Higgins Trust charity and the lives of every HIV+ person who is relying on their support. Thank you again for the sponsorship and support you have given me to help me achieve this xxx
Wednesday 4 November 2009
The first set back - 02 November 2009
I must have committed the cardinal sin of being overly enthusiastic and training too much too soon :o(
After only a couple of weeks of running I was already suffering sore knees. I decided to give myself a week off to recover and seek some professional advice from a running coach, just to be sure I’m warming up, stretching and cooling down properly so I can avoid any potential problems. I then got ill with flu which meant a second week I was completely unable to train :o(
In a way my knee pains have been a good thing, as they’ve made me realise I need to be careful in my training. The way I see it it’s better to learn that lesson early on in the process, rather than have to spend time out of training in the couple of months before the actual marathon. Nevertheless it has been a wake up call. I never for a second thought about potential injuries through running. I figured if anything would be a problem it would be mental motivation, but luckily that isn't a problem to date.
I have my first session with Nikki the running coach tonight. I’ll keep you posted as to how I get on.
A big thanks to everybody who has sponsored me so far. In less than one month so many people have sponsored me that I’ve already passed £3,000!!! THANK YOU.
Paul
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
After only a couple of weeks of running I was already suffering sore knees. I decided to give myself a week off to recover and seek some professional advice from a running coach, just to be sure I’m warming up, stretching and cooling down properly so I can avoid any potential problems. I then got ill with flu which meant a second week I was completely unable to train :o(
In a way my knee pains have been a good thing, as they’ve made me realise I need to be careful in my training. The way I see it it’s better to learn that lesson early on in the process, rather than have to spend time out of training in the couple of months before the actual marathon. Nevertheless it has been a wake up call. I never for a second thought about potential injuries through running. I figured if anything would be a problem it would be mental motivation, but luckily that isn't a problem to date.
I have my first session with Nikki the running coach tonight. I’ll keep you posted as to how I get on.
A big thanks to everybody who has sponsored me so far. In less than one month so many people have sponsored me that I’ve already passed £3,000!!! THANK YOU.
Paul
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
Friday 16 October 2009
This marathon training ain’t hard! – 14 October 2009
Having accepted my place running for THT (and then having told as many people as possible about it so I can’t back out) I figured it was now time to focus on fund-raising. The training bit is pretty easy at this stage, just three 20 minute runs each week, so whilst people are still on a high from my having been offered a place it seemed like the perfect time to get their sponsorship.
As far as I was concerned I had all the necessary elements to raise funds:
1) A worthwhile cause
2) A good contacts list
3) My job is marketing
4) I've never asked for sponsorship before (except for maybe once or twice at school but nobody apart from mum will remember that)
5) I'm running a marathon, not a little fun run, an actual 26.2 mile marathon.
People should be falling over themselves to give me cash. Right?
Telling people you’re running a marathon and asking for their sponsorship is a bit of a rollercoaster ride really. Since starting my collection I’ve had some massive highs and some dips too.
When you ask people to sponsor you, you can’t help but have a figure in mind that you think they’ll offer and how supportive of you they’ll be. It’s a complex equation that takes in to account your relationship with them, how well they know you, their financial circumstances, and their attitude towards the cause.
Some people who you’d expect to have no interest send fantastic emails congratulating you and giving generous amounts of money. They tell you how amazing and brave they think you are, and show real enthusiasm and passion for what you’re doing. Some of the emails friends have sent to me telling me how proud they are of me and how much they want to support me have quite literally moved me to tears.
Just saying you’re running a marathon for charity gives you a strange superhuman-like status. It’s actually quite ironic really as all I’ve done so far is say I’m going to do it and a small amount of training, and yet people keep telling me how incredible I am. This stage must be one of the high points!
In my recent blog I listed my motivations for wanting to do this. There’s one more thing I’d add to that list now, and that’s the support of others. I genuinely never realised the scale of how supportive people can be, and it feels fantastic :o)
You can show your support by sponsoring me at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould/
As far as I was concerned I had all the necessary elements to raise funds:
1) A worthwhile cause
2) A good contacts list
3) My job is marketing
4) I've never asked for sponsorship before (except for maybe once or twice at school but nobody apart from mum will remember that)
5) I'm running a marathon, not a little fun run, an actual 26.2 mile marathon.
People should be falling over themselves to give me cash. Right?
Telling people you’re running a marathon and asking for their sponsorship is a bit of a rollercoaster ride really. Since starting my collection I’ve had some massive highs and some dips too.
When you ask people to sponsor you, you can’t help but have a figure in mind that you think they’ll offer and how supportive of you they’ll be. It’s a complex equation that takes in to account your relationship with them, how well they know you, their financial circumstances, and their attitude towards the cause.
Some people who you’d expect to have no interest send fantastic emails congratulating you and giving generous amounts of money. They tell you how amazing and brave they think you are, and show real enthusiasm and passion for what you’re doing. Some of the emails friends have sent to me telling me how proud they are of me and how much they want to support me have quite literally moved me to tears.
Just saying you’re running a marathon for charity gives you a strange superhuman-like status. It’s actually quite ironic really as all I’ve done so far is say I’m going to do it and a small amount of training, and yet people keep telling me how incredible I am. This stage must be one of the high points!
In my recent blog I listed my motivations for wanting to do this. There’s one more thing I’d add to that list now, and that’s the support of others. I genuinely never realised the scale of how supportive people can be, and it feels fantastic :o)
You can show your support by sponsoring me at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould/
“Sh*t, I’ve got a place in the marathon!” – 6 October 2009
I’ve wanted to run a marathon for a long time now, mainly for three reasons:
1) It’s the most effective thing I can think of to raise money for a cause I’m passionate about
2) A sense of personal achievement from having conquered a massive physical challenge
3) Because it might give me the opportunity to dress as Wonder Woman in public and be openly applauded rather than ridiculed.
I’d applied to run for the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV charity for the 2009 marathon, but was declined a place. If I’m completely honest I was ecstatic with relief when they emailed me to tell me I had been unsuccessful for the 2009 event, but ‘running a marathon’ remained on my ‘to do’ list for life.
2009 has been a very inspiring year for me, and I’ve met some amazing people that have really made me want more out of my life and given me a sense that I could achieve anything. I recently met a guy called David Cunningham who had fought for gay rights in the 70s, and helped pass the first child protection laws in the US, amongst many other inspiring things. After spending time in his company it reminded me of some of my ambitions and made me feel like I wanted to make a difference. I thought of my marathon again. I’d missed the opportunity to get a place through the ballot, but I still had the chance to apply through my favourite charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.
To be honest I still never expected to get a place. I know how competitive it is, THT is a big charity that lots of people must apply to, I’d put the amount I expected to raise at a modest £3,000, but a small part of me also thought that maybe they might be more receptive this time with it being my second year of applying?
On Tuesday 6th of October 2009, I opened my email inbox after finishing my lunch. The first thing I saw was an email from Heidi Leybourne. I recognised her name as the ‘Running Events Co-ordinator’ for THT. I was overcome with feelings of both excitement and dread. As I opened the email the words ‘Great news’ jumped out at me.
My first thought? “Sh*t, I’ve got a place in the marathon!”
Immediately my mind filled with a million objections. Could I do this? But I don’t even run! What if I get an injury? What if I die in the process?
There was only one way to cope with this flood of reservations. Reply to confirm the place so I couldn’t back out. So I did! I’ve got a place in the London Marathon. Hooray! F*ck!
Sponsor me now at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould/
1) It’s the most effective thing I can think of to raise money for a cause I’m passionate about
2) A sense of personal achievement from having conquered a massive physical challenge
3) Because it might give me the opportunity to dress as Wonder Woman in public and be openly applauded rather than ridiculed.
I’d applied to run for the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV charity for the 2009 marathon, but was declined a place. If I’m completely honest I was ecstatic with relief when they emailed me to tell me I had been unsuccessful for the 2009 event, but ‘running a marathon’ remained on my ‘to do’ list for life.
2009 has been a very inspiring year for me, and I’ve met some amazing people that have really made me want more out of my life and given me a sense that I could achieve anything. I recently met a guy called David Cunningham who had fought for gay rights in the 70s, and helped pass the first child protection laws in the US, amongst many other inspiring things. After spending time in his company it reminded me of some of my ambitions and made me feel like I wanted to make a difference. I thought of my marathon again. I’d missed the opportunity to get a place through the ballot, but I still had the chance to apply through my favourite charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.
To be honest I still never expected to get a place. I know how competitive it is, THT is a big charity that lots of people must apply to, I’d put the amount I expected to raise at a modest £3,000, but a small part of me also thought that maybe they might be more receptive this time with it being my second year of applying?
On Tuesday 6th of October 2009, I opened my email inbox after finishing my lunch. The first thing I saw was an email from Heidi Leybourne. I recognised her name as the ‘Running Events Co-ordinator’ for THT. I was overcome with feelings of both excitement and dread. As I opened the email the words ‘Great news’ jumped out at me.
My first thought? “Sh*t, I’ve got a place in the marathon!”
Immediately my mind filled with a million objections. Could I do this? But I don’t even run! What if I get an injury? What if I die in the process?
There was only one way to cope with this flood of reservations. Reply to confirm the place so I couldn’t back out. So I did! I’ve got a place in the London Marathon. Hooray! F*ck!
Sponsor me now at http://www.justgiving.com/paul-raybould/
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